Jim Miara and family moved to Needham 30 years ago, primarily because of the school system's stellar reputation. We were not disappointed. Kids have moved on, but Needham offers a little extra. Jim Miara is an award-winning journalist who has
...

Jim Miara and family moved to Needham 30 years ago, primarily because of the school system's stellar reputation. We were not disappointed. Kids have moved on, but Needham offers a little extra. Jim Miara is an award-winning journalist who has written for the Boston Globe, the Boston Herald, Banker&Tradesman, the Boston Business Journal and Urban Land Magazine.

It may be a new team in Boston, but some familiar faces from last summer's International League champion Pawtucket Red Sox are continuing their winning ways at McCoy Stadium, with the PawSox off to a 9-1 start.

The 2013 edition of the Red Sox' triple-A farm club currently has 13 returning players from last year's squad, including Milton's Alex Hassan, catching prospect Ryan Lavarnway, and hot-hitting outfielders Bryce Brentz and Jeremy Hazelbaker. The pitching staff has been especially effective in crafting Pawtucket's best-ever beginning of a season, with holdovers including knuckleballing starter Steven Wright, and relievers Pedro Beato and Jose De La Torre.

But it was a new face, late to the party, who found his batting eye just in time Sunday afternoon. Veteran major league outfielder Mitch Maier, who'd been sidelined in spring training when he hurt his left wrist, ended yesterday's eleven-inning deadlock with a three-run walk-off home run, just inside the foul pole in right field, for a 5-2 PawSox victory. Maier, who's played 360 games in the majors between 2006-2012, all with Kansas City, had been working in extended spring training in Florida, since his injury had robbed him of most of spring training with the rest of his teammates.

"It's about time he jumped right in and joined the fun," said Pawtucket manager Gary DiSarcina.

Maier, 30, hadn't looked sharp in striking out, grounding out, walking and then striking out again in his first four trips to the plate. But of course the PawSox were involved in a dandy pitching duel with the Rochester Red Wings. Pawtucket starter Jeremy Kehrt had allowed two runs (one earned) in his first outing, after also being injured at the start of the season. But then PawSox relievers Beato, De La Torre, and Ryan Rowland-Smith had combined for 7.1 innings of scoreless work.

Rochester lefty Andrew Albers, meanwhile, started and provided five shutout frames for the visitors. Pawtucket banged out a couple runs off reliever Daniel Turpen, with a two-run Brandon Snyder double in the seventh, but the Red Wings bullpen shut the door for the next four innings.

"My first couple at-bats, a strikeout and a weak groundout, then a walk, were not the best," Maier said. "When I hit it at the end there, I didn't think it'd be a homer, maybe a double down the line. It barely had enough to get over the fence, and there was a pretty strong wind blowing across the diamond, so I thought it might go foul. But I saw it go over the fence."

"I think my last walk-off hit was probably in 2006, and it was a double," Maier added.

With all the young outfield talent at Pawtucket, Maier might seem like an odd addition, but the veteran--who saw most of his action with the Royals in 2009-2010--is a welcome sight for DiSarcina, who views him as a good role model for the young fry.

"It's great to have Mitch finally up here," said DiSarcina. "He's a hard-nosed player, who made a really nice catch in right-center field today too. There's no better way to get your first hit than that. In my view, he smacked it real good, but I just couldn't tell from the dugout if he'd hooked it foul. I was hoping it stayed low enough to stay fair, and apparently it did."

"He's had five years in the big leagues and it's our job to get him back there," said DiSarcina. "I also love the idea of having him around young guys like Brentz and Hazelbaker, because he's a true professional, who goes out and plays hard every day."

DiSarcina, in his first year managing Pawtucket, likes his club and the way they've started the season, but also cautions that minor league ball is inherently unstable, with unexpected roster shifts the norm. Not that he isn't enjoying this opening skein as much as anyone else.

"Since day one, they've all got along well, and it is a really good bunch of guys," said DiSarcina. "They all seem to have the same makeup--they love to come to the ballpark and play every game, and they have talent too. I have to tip my cap to (Boston GM) Ben Cherington and (minor league director) Ben Crockett for assembling this bunch, who have the right attitude, and talent. When you have Brandon Snyder and Drew Sutton (both of whom had two hits Sunday) batting seventh and eight, that's a lineup with pretty good talent."

"Of course this is Triple-A, so we could just as likely go 1-9 starting tomorrow," DiSarcina added. "We'll ride it as long as we can, and it is very enjoyable--we all love to come to the ballpark. These guys like to have fun playing baseball, and they know they're good. They have fun in Boston too, and it's okay to have fun as long as you do your work. But when the bell rings these guys are ready to go."

"Of course they make mistakes and they make errors," DiSarcina added. "Yeah, they're human, like every other team. But right now it's very enjoyable for all of us to come to the ballpark every day--we're excited to come to the ballpark every day."

Pawtucket is home through Thursday, hosting Lehigh Valley. Rehabbing BoSox DH David Ortiz--a late scratch Sunday due to illness--is expected to play with the PawSox through this homestand.